Phoradendron Flavescens
by Tawnykit
Summary: It's Christmas time, and everyone seems to be getting into the Christmas spirit. Why, even the stoic Seto Kaiba has invited Yugi and his friends over for a party. Of course, he could have his own reasons for that...


A/N: Merry (now belated) Christmas, everyone! This was a Christmas present for my good friend Sangha, who has graciously given me permission to share it with all of you. It started out as a drabble, but as you can see, it didn't stay that way for long. (grin) But I had a grand time writing it, and Sangha enjoyed it; I hope you all do, as well.

* * *

"Hello?" 

"Yugi? It's Mokuba."

"Hi Mokuba! How are you?"

"All right. Listen, are you doing anything Christmas Eve?"

"I don't think so... Just having a little party with the gang. Why do you ask?"

"You won't _believe_ what Seto told me this morning."

* * *

The room was completely silent, its inhabitants sitting in frozen astonishment, looking at the small boy as if he had suddenly sprouted an extra head. 

It was Joey that finally managed to sputter a disbelieving "W-W-_What_?"

Yugi blinked at them, wondering why they were all so surprised. "It's true!"

"This is _Kaiba_ we're talking about," Joey continued, as if wanting to make sure that he had heard correctly.

"Yup."

"_Seto_ Kaiba," the blond demanded.

"Well, Mokuba was the one who called, but according to him, it was his brother's idea, so yup."

Joey was silent, his mouth opening and closing in apparent shock.

Tristan spoke next. "I didn't even think Kaiba knew what a party _was_."

"Why's it so hard to believe?" Yugi asked, cocking his head. "He's our friend–"

"He's _your_ friend, Yug," Joey interrupted. "If you can even call it that. The rest of us hate his guts."

"I... wouldn't go quite that far, Joey," Téa said slowly.

"Well _I _would," Joey shot back, getting angrier by the moment. "He's a stubborn, egotistical son of a bitch! Ain't _no_ way I'm gonna let Kaiba ruin my Christmas Eve!"

"Joey!"

The disappointment in the spiky-haired boy's voice caused Joey to flinch, but he stood firm. "Listen, I promised my sis we'd spend Christmas Eve together. We don't see each other much and I'm not gonna break my promise just to go to Moneybag's fancy party."

Yugi gave him a relieved smile. "If that's the only problem I'm sure Serenity would be welcome to come along!"

Joey deadpanned. "Yugi, that's not what I..."

"I already said we'd go, Joey. It'd be rude not to."

Joey snorted. "Like Rich Boy cares if we're rude or not."

"What about Mokuba? He sounded really excited when I talked with him, Joey. Do you want to let him down?"

"Well I... That is to say..." Joey fumbled, muttered something unintelligible, and finally sighed and gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. But don't expect me to like it."

* * *

"Hey, Serenity? I need to talk to you." 

"Joey! Hey, what's up?" Serenity's voice chirped from Joey's phone, sounding as cheerfully innocent as she always did.

Joey braced himself. "It's about Christmas Eve."

There was a pause. Both siblings had been looking forward to seeing each other for weeks, and Joey could only imagine her disappointment when he told her that it might not go as planned.

His sister's voice finally came back hesitantly. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh... Not exactly. Well, kind of. Um, yeah."

"...Joey, you're not making any sense."

He took a deep breath. "It's like this. Yug got a call this morning from Mokuba – you know... Seto Kaiba's kid brother? You met them during Battle City."

"Of course I remember!" She sounded indignant, as if the very idea that she could forget was a blasphemous sin. That was odd; she hadn't seen or had reason to think of either of the Kaibas for months.

Knowing he was missing something, Joey pressed her for details. "Huh?"

"Oh... Nothing," she said quickly. "So, Mokuba called Yugi, and...?"

Joey narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then shrugged. He was looking into it too deeply; it wasn't like Serenity had anything to hide from him. "He invited us to a party. On Christmas Eve. At his house."

"At..." She gave a short hissing sound, and Joey could imagine the disappointment on her face. "At Kaiba's house?" she finished.

"Yeah... Look, Seren... I know it won't be the same... But I promised Yugi I'd go... And you can come, if you want, and... Or you could stay at home with Mom, and we could maybe do something next week..." He trailed of hopelessly.

"I'll go," she said.

"You... You will? Are you sure?"

"Yup." She sounded almost... cheerful.

"I don't want to force you into anything, Seren."

"Oh, come on, Joey, think of it! Christmas Eve at his _mansion_? Anyone with any sense would leap at a chance to go! There'll be food, and maybe even music, and all our friends will be there, and if it snows the gardens will be so beautiful..." She trailed off, sounding like she was entertaining a fantasy.

"I... guess so," Joey admitted. Suddenly he blinked. "How d'you know he has a garden?"

"Oh, I... That is, I mean, he must! What kind of a mansion doesn't have gardens?"

"I dunno. I don't really think it's Moneybag's kind of thing." Still, he supposed she made sense.

"Well, there's only one way to find out! See you on Christmas Eve, Joey! Love you, 'bye!" And with that, she hung up.

Joey stared at the phone for a moment. That hadn't gone _quite_ the way he'd expected it to. Still, she'd taken it rather well. Maybe Christmas Eve wasn't entirely ruined after all.

* * *

Mokuba smiled at the sight before his eyes. He's never imagined that Seto would ever allow him to invite Yugi and his friends over for _tea_, much less for Christmas Eve. His brother was full of surprises, as even Mokuba was still learning. 

Taking a sip from the glass of punch in his hand, Mokuba's eyes traveled along the enormous room, stopping momentarily as he reached each of his friends. Yugi and Téa were talking quietly in a corner; Mokuba silently urged Téa to step three feet to her left, underneath one of the many sprigs of mistletoe hung throughout the room.

Joey and Bakura were both at the food table. The blond was stuffing his face with as much food as he could reach; Mokuba wondered where he put it all. Bakura was watching his friend with a bemused expression as he picked more slowly through a plate of goodies balanced on one arm.

Duke and Tristan were arguing – loudly – near the stereo that was playing soft Christmas carols for them all to enjoy. They were both shooting not-so-furtive glances in the direction of a certain redheaded girl who, oblivious to their desires, was staring dreamily out the window at the snowy wonderland in the gardens.

Mokuba's grin grew, and he bit back a snicker as he remembered his brother's one condition for allowing this party.

He drained the last of his punch, absently tossing his paper cup into a nearby garbage can, and strode casually over to where Serenity stood gazing out the window.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked her as he came to stand behind her.

She gave a little jump, turning around to face him. He smiled apologetically, "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

She smiled back. "That's okay, Mokuba."

Mokuba leaned backward against the windowsill. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"It's wonderful, Mokuba," she said, turning to gaze wistfully out the window again. "I just wish..."

"What?" he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"I just wish that your brother was here." She sighed.

Mokuba couldn't hide his smirk, but luckily she wasn't looking at him. "I think I might be able to help with that," he said honestly, biting the inside of his cheek to regain control of his facial expression.

She positively beamed at him. "Could you?"

He nodded. "Of course! Oh, but first," he added, as if just remembering something, "do you think you could give me a hand with something?"

"Sure, Mokuba," she agreed. "How can I help?"

"C'mon; I'll show you."

He led her away from the window, across the room to stand near the grand staircase that connected this floor to the one above. Then he spun around to face her, not bothering to attempt to disguise his look of triumph.

She frowned at him. "What...?"

He rolled his eyes upward, staring pointedly at something above her head.

Serenity gaped. "Mokuba... You _didn't_..."

He smirked again and winked at her cheerfully. "I'll be going, then. Good luck, Serenity."

He practically skipped over to the food table, helping himself to more punch. Once more sipping calmly at the tangy drink, he quietly paged his brother, letting the blue-eyed dragon know that it was safe to make an appearance at the party.

* * *

"Hey Kaiba," Yugi greeted the young CEO as he swept calmly down the staircase and entered the room. 

Kaiba gave him a nod of acknowledgement. "Yugi. I trust you're enjoying yourself?"

"We're both having a blast, Kaiba," Téa answered. "It was very kind of you to invite us over."

The billionaire grunted, his eyes searching around the room. Finding what he was looking for, he smirked and excused himself from Yugi and Téa.

"Good-night, Kaiba," Yugi smiled. "Merry Christmas!"

Kaiba stopped, half turning in surprise. He watched the small boy for a moment, then nodded and continued on his way.

* * *

"Look, Tristan, there is absolutely no way that Serenity would ever want to date the likes of _you_ when she has _me_," Duke drawled, making his pointy-haired companion flush angrily. 

"And what would Serenity want with _you_, you two-faced lech?" Tristan growled.

Duke opened his mouth furiously, about to retort, when something caught his eye. Immediately, he spun away from Tristan and hurried away.

Tristan stared after him, shouting at his retreating back. "Hey, where to you think you're going? I wasn't through with you, you..." He trailed off as he saw what Duke was heading towards.

Panic overtaking him, he ran after the dark-haired boy, managing to tackle him when he was a scarce nine and a half feet away from his target.

"Oh no you don't!" Tristan cried, and the two teenagers began a heated scuffle, neither one paying attention to the tall boy who stepped disdainfully around them.

* * *

"Well, well, well. You look like you're in a spot of trouble." 

Serenity glared at the tall businessman, lightly stamping her foot in frustration. "It's _about time_!"

"'About time'?" he quoted, raising his eyebrows. "You were waiting for me?"

The redhead blushed. "That's not what I meant!"

There was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, I think that's _exactly_ you meant."

Serenity opened her mouth, closed it, and folded her arms across her chest, turning her back to him in a mock pout. "Seto Kaiba, you..."

She trailed off, forgetting what she had been going to say as he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him, getting closer...

Closer...

* * *

Joey sighed, leaning back against the wall, wondering if there was a toothpick he could use. His stomach was finally full, and a contented sleepiness was settling over him. Perhaps it had been a good idea after all to come here, he decided, looking around for his friends. 

Yugi and Téa stood slightly apart from the rest of the party – that was good, they needed to spend more time together. Bakura had long since finished at the food table and was now laughing with Mokuba about something. Seto Kaiba had finally made an appearance, and was now kissing Serenity underneath a sprig of mistletoe. Duke and Tristan were both trying to strangle each other...

Stop.

Rewind.

Play.

Seto Kaiba was doing _what_?

Joey's jaw dropped and he let out a choked cry, running forward with every intention of ripping the other boy limb from limb. Suddenly, without warning, he tripped, falling flat on his face. Joey clamped his hands over his nose, hoping it wasn't broken, and moaned in pain.

Mokuba, his face a picture of innocence, knelt down next to him, closely followed by Bakura. "Are you all right, Joey?"

"I'b fibe," he groaned.

"What?" Bakura blinked.

Joey carefully took his hands away from his nose, checking for blood. There wasn't any; it looked like his nose was intact. "I'm _fine_," he repeated.

"Why were you running, anyway?" the white-haired boy asked, confused.

Suddenly remembering, Joey sprang to his feet, his minor injuries forgotten. "Kaiba... Serenity! Gotta stop!"

Bakura looked none the wiser for Joey's fragmented sentences, but Mokuba was anxiously checking around the room. He grinned in relief when he saw that his brother's mission was accomplished.

Joey had seen this as well; he was now walking with slow, determined steps, murder on his face.

Mokuba chuckled; this was going to get interesting.

* * *

Seto slowly straightened, his hands still on Serenity's shoulders and her taste still on his lips. He smirked slightly, amused that her eyes were still closed. 

"Serenity?"

She opened her eyes. "Jerk. You were planning that all along, weren't you?"

"Of course."

A loud, angry yell cut off further conversation. "KAIBA!"

Seto's smirk grew. He bent down, murmuring something in her ear, and then he was gone, vanishing up the marble staircase before either boy could hurt each other.

Serenity watched as Joey raced up to her, looked her up and down once as if to make sure that she was unharmed (though he missed the tiny smile that was hovering on her lips) and then tore off after the billionaire.

He had set one foot on the stairs when two suited guards grabbed him behind his arms and hauled him back, setting him on his feet and standing in his path. "No guests on the second floor, sir," one of them said in an emotionless voice.

Joey growled. "Outta the way!"

"Sir, please return to the party, or we'll have to ask you to leave," the other guard told him.

The blond opened his mouth, closed it, gave an angry groan, and walked stiff-legged back to the food table, his jaw set.

Mokuba covered a smile with his hand, glancing across the room to where Serenity still stood. Their eyes met, and this time it was Serenity who winked. Turning, she practically floated back to the window, once more gazing at the winter wonderland outside.

* * *

Several hours later, the party was finally coming to an end. Joey, still furious, was relieved. Kaiba hadn't shown his slimy hide again; he was probably afraid that Joey would hurt him so much that he wouldn't be able to type on his pretty little laptop the next day. 

At least, that's what the blond had convinced himself.

He joined his smiling friends, listening as Yugi, Téa, and Bakura complimented Mokuba on how well everything had went. Duke and Tristan weren't speaking to each other, but they were both nodding in agreement to their friends' words.

Joey sighed. He couldn't blame Mokuba for what his brother had done. It wasn't his fault. He forced on a smile and addressed the young Kaiba. "Right... Great party, Mokuba."

Mokuba smiled. "Thanks, Joey."

Joey nodded, suddenly remembering something. "Hey... Where's Serenity?"

Mokuba's eyes widened, but he was quick to assure his friends that they would find her. He thought it best not to mention that he hadn't seen her in several hours.

Or that the guard's "No guests on the second floor" rule didn't include _all_ of the guests.

* * *

"You're a bad man, Seto Kaiba," she chastised. 

He leaned back lazily. "I'm sure you don't mean that."

A pause. "Maybe not." She sighed. "I just wish Joey hadn't been so..."

"What did you expect him to do?"

"I don't know... I thought he might have guessed, though. I mean, when he told me about the party, I practically _told _him that I'd been here before. And I almost said your name – you know, instead of 'Kaiba' like he calls you?"

"Kaiba _is_ my name, love."

"Yes, I _know_ that, but I mean... It's your _sur_name."

"True."

"Anyway, he sounded really suspicious; I thought for sure he'd figure it out."

"..."

"...Merry Christmas, Seto."

He hesitated, torn between his own less-then-complimentary views on Christmas and religion in general, and the – What? Affection? Maybe even... love? – for the girl in his arms.

When he finally spoke, she could practically _hear_ the smile in his voice.

"Merry Christmas, Serenity."

* * *

A/N: Btw, the title is the scientific name for the species of mistletoe that is typically used as a Christmas decoration. A.k.a., it's Latin, and I'm a complete and total nerd. XD 

Cheers, Merry Christmas, and do leave a review before you go.


End file.
